MyDD :: An Open Letter to Sgt. Smith

An Open Letter to Sgt. Smith

by kevin22262, Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:38:32 PM EST

Here is a passionate submission to the local publication, The Tahoma Organizer, by my friend Michelle. She, and the Organizer, have been invaluable in this community for being a voice for all of us who care what's happening in our world. Please take a moment to read:

This is Michelle's story and her words.

If you are human, this will touch you.

The story is below the fold.

As originally posted at The Tahoma Organizer

An Open Letter to Sgt. Smith
by michelle -- 2007-12-12 14:44

I'm sorry that I couldn't look you in the eye when I saw you in the McDonalds line today.

I'm sorry that I was going to sneak a peek at you on the sly. As I stood behind you, I knew from your height, the width of your shoulders and length of your limbs, the perfect shape of your head and, to be honest, the curve of your buttocks under your uniform, that you just had to be gorgeous. You spoke to the girl behind the counter with a surprisingly rich voice, like a smooth but smoky shot of bourbon, and the inept young woman finally looked up to provide some service, gasped audibly, and didn't look away from you as she stuttered through your order.

I'm sorry I admired your form even more as the muscles in your back tightened with what I thought was masculine pride at her stare. I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you to turn around to give me my little thrill of the day.

I'm sorry that half of your face is gone.

I'm sorry your cheek and jaw bones are missing, and that the grafted skin over that grossly concaved canvass looks so painful. I'm sorry your right eye is gone and that I wondered what that obscene, horrific white thing in there was, the sliver that I could see, anyway.

I'm sorry you don't look people in the face anymore.

I'm sorry that while we waited for our orders I stood beside you for three minutes and didn't ask what happened, even though I know what happened, so that you could talk about it, explain in a loud voice that you are lucky to be alive and not a freak of nature.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you how much pain I felt for your injury, for your new life, for the loss of yourself and the challenges you'll have, maybe the love that you'll miss, the conflict you must feel, have to feel, any time you are brave enough to look in a mirror.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry that when I went to my car and burst into tears that I didn't instead burst back into the restaurant and try to take you in my arms as a son or brother, husband or lover, neighbor, human-being, simple vertebrate, anything, to tell you how sorry I am for your loss, to lie to you and tell you everything is going to be alright.

I'm sorry that political parties send me straw polls asking me to help them prioritize our country's "issues" and concerns, and that when I answer, it is blithely; that when ABC or CNN email me "breaking news" about the stock market I don't find a way to insist they focus instead on this war and whether its vicious casualties are justified, and to not let go, hang on to that unholy bitch like a pitbull until we get answers and then act on them; that I haven't sent even one, no, not one, letter to Congress or the President demanding an end or even just a time-out to this war until its purpose has been satisfactorily explained and understood, until we're all grimly convinced the losses it incurs, including your face and future, really were and are unavoidably necessary.

I'm sorry that I did not start or participate in a different war, a bloodless but possible war that might have stopped the thoughtless and casual use of your flesh, that before I even put on a uniform I felt weary of the probable futility and rolled over, stomach up. It's possible that when I rolled, my lazy flailing leg tripped the device that blasted your bones into pieces.

I'm sorry if you've been told or convinced you're nobly protecting people like me, people who haven't bothered to protect you. Because you were the vulnerable one. You enlisted to follow orders. You took orders from people who are supposed to take orders, ultimately, from the citizenry. Me. Us. And we haven't demanded they be reasonable ones. We haven't insisted they be held up to scrutiny every single day. Every minute. That very second you became someone no one will ever want to look at.

I'm sorry I didn't storm the castle for you. You'd do it for me. There is hideous proof. I'm sorry I haven't been held accountable for what's happened to you, and to so many others like you. Because I am. I am the one who should hide my face.

I'm so, so sorry, but somehow glad, that I'll never see you again, that you'll never tell me you forgive me. Especially if you really do.

Yours, in shame, Michelle

Cross posted at: Washington Woman

Originally posted at The Tahoma Organizer

Tags: war, peace, iraq, compassion (all tags)

Permalink :: 7 Comments :: Post a Comment

What would you do? (none / 0)

What would you say if you were in Michelle's shoes?

Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 08:51:14 PM EST

Re: An Open Letter to Sgt. Smith (2.00 / 1)

Frankly, the girl seems shallow to me and the whole letter reeks of superficial conceit. She sizes him up like a 'piece of meat' from behind and goes batty when she sees his face, as if 'looks' are her main concern - she thought he would be 'gorgeous'- well, maybe he still is- on the inside- which is more than what this girl seems to care about.

by reasonwarrior on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:00:36 PM EST

She is HUMAN (none / 0)

I would bet my paycheck that she has more compassion and has done more progressive action then you could ever even think of.

She thought he was cute, even from behind, so? Have you ever done this before?

She went "batty"? BS.

You come across like the one lacking compassion. Did you really read the whole thing? Did you even TRY to feel the emotions? Did you even TRY to put yourself in her shoes?

Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:25:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Also (none / 0)

If you really read the whole piece, then you would see that she is really saying sorry for ALL of us for not stopping this war from happening and not stopping it now.

We The People have the power... if we choose to use it. But it would mean we have to step away from the computer, not get that latte, turn the TV off and actually go OUTSIDE, make a trip to DC and take to the streets by the millions.

Even tho I have done some of these things, I to am guilty as charged. I to am sorry.

Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 09:28:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Also (none / 0)

I DID read it. I know what she is saying, I am put off by how she is saying some of it. Like this line-'That very second you became someone no one will ever want to look at.' That's a terrible thing to say- it seems more of a reflection on her than him- I mean, some people can get past the physical- to make that sort of judgment I think is about as callous as what she says she regrets- also this line- 'There is hideous proof.'- I mean, calling him 'hideous'- where is the compassion in that? And the first paragraph- she sounds like an over-sexed 16 year old, I mean, talking about buttocks? - I'm no prude, but it borders on the pornographic. I think it would be much more effective without the sleaze, taking out the dwelling on how disgusting she personally thinks he looks in her apology, some of the over-the-top stuff like the flailing leg tripping the device- it might be better if she ended with crying in the car- just my opinion- it's admirable that she feels the need to write it- though some of it screams she is looking for attention- but I would definitely think about re-writing before submission. Just being honest, sorry.

by reasonwarrior on Fri Dec 14, 2007 at 03:27:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Also (none / 0)

You are also the only one I have come across that can not realy 'see' what this says.

Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Fri Dec 14, 2007 at 11:31:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: An Open Letter to Sgt. Smith (2.00 / 2)

I find that very moving. Maybe I'm a soft touch.

One of the things about this war is how many of us lack any sort of direct contact with the people who are affected by it. In Vietnam everybody had someone close who was over there. It's easy not to think about it.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Fri Dec 14, 2007 at 02:52:16 AM EST

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